Clayton Thorson threw three early passing touchdowns and the Northwestern defense staved off a second-half Indiana push to secure a 24-14 win on Saturday.

Senior receiver Austin Carr extended his streak to six consecutive games with a touchdown as he hauled in seven receptions for 125 yards and a score, and junior running back Justin Jackson rumbled for 96 yards on the ground. The win pushed the Wildcats (4-3, 3-1 Big Ten) above .500 for the first time this season.

The homecoming crowd on a chilly Evanston morning was late to arrive, but NU’s offense was not. The Cats marched down the field with ease on both of their first two drives, with Thorson, a sophomore, completing long touchdown passes to junior receiver Solomon Vault and Carr to put NU up 14-0 early.

Thorson added a third touchdown pass, this one to junior receiver Macan Wilson, prior to halftime as the Cats cruised to a 24-3 lead at the break.

The second half proved a different story, however.

Indiana (3-4, 1-3) cut the lead to 24-12, including a 3-yard touchdown run by receiver Nick Westbrook, and found itself driving into NU territory early in the fourth quarter with all the momentum on its side.

But a 3rd-down sack by senior defensive end Ifeadi Odenigbo forced a missed field goal attempt and permanently stalled the Hoosiers’ momentum, with only an intentional safety in the final seconds adding more points to Indiana’s score.

Takeaways

1. Northwestern’s defense stiffens on important plays

Indiana had a number of opportunities to get back into the game before the fourth quarter, but the Cats’ defense repeatedly came up with big stops in crucial moments.

NU stopped Indiana on two plays inside the 5-yard line before its first field goal, and broke up a potential touchdown pass before its second field goal. Then, with Indiana threatening to make it a one-score game, the defensive line produced two sacks on 3rd-and-long situations in the fourth quarter to force the visitors’ offense off the field.

2. After early dominance, Thorson stumbles in second half

The Cats went into halftime with 371 yards of offense, including 252 yards on 18-of-31 passing by Thorson. But the signal caller proved unable to find his rhythm in the second half, completing just 6-of-12 passes for 33 yards.

Thorson also suffered an injury while being tackled out of bounds in the game’s final seven minutes and missed a few plays before returning for the following possession.

3. Kyle Quiero continues streak of called interceptions

After safeties Godwin Igwebuike, junior, and Jared McGee, sophomore, forecasted interceptions on social media prior to games earlier this season and then followed through on their predictions, junior safety Kyle Quiero joined his teammates by tweeting “Thanks for the INT” prior to Saturday’s matchup.

Given that Quiero played with one hand in a cast, such an event seemed unlikely — until it happened. Quiero made a leaping, one-handed pick on Indiana quarterback Richard Lagow in the fourth quarter to fulfill his remarkable prediction and further stall the Hoosiers’ momentum.

Stats

-Austin Carr has caught at least one touchdown in six consecutive games.

-Thorson had a career-high 43 passing attempts.

-Indiana quarterback Richard Lagow passed 59 times, finishing with 35 completions and 319 passing yards.

-Northwestern managed only 37 yards of offense in the second half.